KEEPING UP WITH VERSIONS

[Llian]

How does anyone keep up with versions?
I only just opened AC 17 since I got its subscription a year ago!
I really do want to hear from anyone...costs, learning, updating, etc....

Thanks

[Anonymous]

Pay annual subscription fee & get tech support, tips, object etc.
New versions always have heaps of Youtube videos to watch.
This forum is great for getting help.
New versions can make work so much easier, as an example V18 has the revision management system which alone is worth the upgrade fee, yes you do need to invest some time to learn how to use it.
I am only just starting to use V19, another 6 months & V20 will be announced!

[Anonymous]

We're on a subscription model too, and while we get every version we tend to only use every other one. We are currently doing most of our work in AC18, and still have some projects in AC16 which are just winding up on site. If you have a long-running project the yearly upgrade can come around a bit quick. There is also the issue of trying to keep up with hardware upgrades to meet the new version's requirements, which the boss is not too keen on. (We still have drawing boards in the office too, and they still work - haven't had to upgrade them yet). And reading about the number of bugs in AC19 I'm pretty happy we haven't gone there yet.

[Anonymous]

In Australia I think most people pay an annual subscription which gives you the latest version.

I think most of the time you only notice 1 or 2 changes from each version that you actually implement, (I love the label tool in 19 but probably don't use any of the other new features) but if you try and jump from say version 16 - 19 it can be quite a big jump.

Like others have said projects can last for a few years from first sketch to final completion. I like to try and migrate jobs to the latest version if possible, but sometimes a job has had too much work completed and the migration is difficult eg if I was to bring a job from AC18 - AC19 I probably wouldn't worry about changing text items, that I might now use labels for.

[Llian]

Thanks everyone. I didnt make myself clear. I am aware and have been on subscription. I had subscription for 3 versions over 3 years and meaning one verion every year. Project documentation typically takes 2-3 years from start to as-built. So what with one two new features in each every versions. Do they REALLY make a difference to productivity, morale or profits????? Anyways thanks for your responses ; they really make me see how it can into the better-form of addiction or business.

[Da3dalus]

There is a prevailing philosophy with the yearly upgrade cycle that keeping up with small annual changes is easier than learning overwhelming changes every few years. My firm has about 50 users, and we generally do 2-3 lunch sessions to make the transition each year. It takes several hours of my time to migrate files (it's not always clean, but that's another issue), but the learning curve is pretty reasonable.

We're constantly asking for new features and improved workflows. The new interface in AC19, for instance, is an answer to years of prayers. However, AC18 had very little that helped me. You have to accept that some upgrades will be for other types of designers, not you. We all have to pay a little to continue the solution, otherwise Graphisoft can't pay programmers to innovate. The subscription scheme is a necessary evil to progress.

My old firm still has ArchiCAD 12, and has asked me about upgrading. Though it's not insurmountable, I think they would be facing several full days of training, or else many months of painful confusion. And someday, their old version simply won't work on new computers (Though, as I understand, AC12 will still work on Windows 10 and Mac OS X 11.

I've compared prices, and for a full-featured BIM software (which includes extensive modeling tools, conceptual design, construction documentation, document management, multiple renderers, desktop publishing, a tablet app, and a robust sharing server system) it's very competitive. Especially since ArchiCAD will run well on much less expensive machines than Revit.

If you're not making enough money as an Architect to afford this, then your fee structure is too low, and is part of the problem that has been devaluing our industry for years. Please don't low-ball your fees; it hurts us all. Charge what is costs to do the work well on good equipment (unless you're comfortable just using pencil and paper). There is plenty of money in Construction, but it's being sucked up by the Contractors.

[Eduardo Rolon]

Da3dalus wrote:
There is a prevailing philosophy with the yearly upgrade cycle that keeping up with small annual changes is easier than learning overwhelming changes every few years. My firm has about 50 users, and we generally do 2-3 lunch sessions to make the transition each year. It takes several hours of my time to migrate files (it's not always clean, but that's another issue), but the learning curve is pretty reasonable.

We're constantly asking for new features and improved workflows. The new interface in AC19, for instance, is an answer to years of prayers. However, AC18 had very little that helped me. You have to accept that some upgrades will be for other types of designers, not you. We all have to pay a little to continue the solution, otherwise Graphisoft can't pay programmers to innovate. The subscription scheme is a necessary evil to progress.

My old firm still has ArchiCAD 12, and has asked me about upgrading. Though it's not insurmountable, I think they would be facing several full days of training, or else many months of painful confusion. And someday, their old version simply won't work on new computers (Though, as I understand, AC12 will still work on Windows 10 and Mac OS X 11.

I've compared prices, and for a full-featured BIM software (which includes extensive modeling tools, conceptual design, construction documentation, document management, multiple renderers, desktop publishing, a tablet app, and a robust sharing server system) it's very competitive. Especially since ArchiCAD will run well on much less expensive machines than Revit.

If you're not making enough money as an Architect to afford this, then your fee structure is too low, and is part of the problem that has been devaluing our industry for years. Please don't low-ball your fees; it hurts us all. Charge what is costs to do the work well on good equipment (unless you're comfortable just using pencil and paper). There is plenty of money in Construction, but it's being sucked up by the Contractors.

+1